THE LOBSTEROID CIRCUIT
Myles not help his present of passage the cut by the Cupians with his difficult through the a an hour, or with his way the wedge-faced insect.
Upon his at the of the abyss, his act was to test the black with an electric coil. As he had expected, it was magnetite, the only iron which will respond to a magnet. It was the same as he had used in his while making his radio set in Vairkingi.
This of, were and across the pit, and from these large electro-magnets were close to the surface of the water. Wires were from the of the near-by town to a master at the top of the cliff.
When all was in readiness, the earth-man the into all the circuits. The result was immediate. To the surface of the water there up, a score or more of creatures, each the size of a car. Poor beasts!
The of and cement, in the of their gravity-sense organs, were of magnetite; and this being by the electro-magnets, gave the the that up was down, and was up. Consequently, their position and to the surface, they imagined—with what little their were of—that they were peacefully at the of the lake.
Next there were on, in place of the magnets, a number of against the of the near the surface of the water; and all the rolled over, with their toward that of the pit. The was a complete success.
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Grappling and and were then brought, and was for the airplane, the ant-rifle, and the of which Myles had on the night of his landing in Cupia.
The radio man himself, at his switchboard, the instruments. Presumably all three of the articles were near the bank where Cabot had landed, so was at that point, while magnets, across the pond, the away. Even so, of them and at the hooks.
This gave Myles an opportunity to his controls. Whenever one of the of the would approach any of the apparatus, the radio man would close the which some near-by magnet, the would be off his balance, and would he himself to the new lines of force. By the time that this had been accomplished, Cabot would have on some other magnet, thus again the beast’s equilibrium.
It was a and which this of two worlds played upon his keyboard, while green moved at his command.
Finally Myles got so expert at this game, that it safe for his to into the without of the of the deep. At last the were to the ant-plane, and it was up the bank to safety. The fire-arm and thereafter.
The of the true king—Baby Kew—were now with one small airship, one rifle, and one of cartridges.
“You must attack at once!” Nan-nan asserted.
The earth-man looked at the Cupian in surprise.
“Why?” he asked.
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“Because,” the explained, “if you don’t some one of this village is going to word to Prince Yuri of your return. Although no has yet been of your identity, this of yours of the scissor-beasts is as good as a introduction. Runners will soon be the usurper.”
“Why runners?” Myles asked. “Why not radio?”
“Because,” Nan-nan replied. “I took the to an adjusting-tool into the local motor-generator set early this morning. One of the is jammed, and it will take days and nights of work to it.”
“Great are the of the religion,” Cabot approvingly.
But the pouted, in of the of approval. Said he: “There were no to this accomplishment. I did it all myself.”
“Have it your own way,” Myles returned conciliatorily. “But to to what we were discussing, how am I to attack the with no troops, and only one plane, and one rifle?”
“But you must attack!” Nan-nan objected. “As for planes, every plane in the kingdom, save only yours, is under lock and key at Wautoosa, the old air base, which now is the of the bees. Every firearm, save two, your and Prince Yuri’s automatic, is under at the Kuana arsenal. Only the himself and the guards—who are of his—are permitted to be armed.”
“And I suppose,” the earth-man interjected, with a shrug, “that you me, alone and single-handed, to the Kuana arsenal, and arms to my people.”
“Not exactly,” the replied. “You see—”
At which point the was by a of troops, four abreast, which came toward them the which had been cut through the trees.
Cabot aghast. Trapped! The soldiers along in the perfect which had been them by in the clubs—or “hundreds”—of Cupia. True, they were unarmed, but what one do against such numbers? Cabot the path, and saw hundred after hundred turn into it at the end.
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There was only one possibility of escape, his plane. But the plane was still from its in the pond. Would its trophil-engine start while wet? Had water into the to the fuel? He would see.
Shouting to Nan-nan and Emsul to follow, he started toward his craft; but the his way. Treachery.
No. For the cried: “Fear not, of the faith. These be friends! They are the which you are to lead against Yuri. They are of the hill towns, which have been called together here, for an tournament.”
Cabot stopped his of retreat, and smiled. With such men he would Cupia, Yuri or no Yuri, or no bees!
The hundred and in company-front. Then from the ranks there a Cupian, who off his wig, beneath. Onto his own right he a red circle, the of Field Marshal. It was Hah Babbuh, Chief of Staff of the Armies of Cupia, who had been Cabot’s right-hand man in the two of liberation.
Facing the he gave a command. Up every left hand. Then, about, he his own hand and shouted: “Yahoo, Myles Cabot! We are to where you lead!”
“Yahoo!” the in unison.
Then, his men the order “at ease,” Hah up to the earth-man. Warmly, the two friends each other on the cheek. It was many since they had each other, and much had in the meantime.
A of was Myles, Hah, Nan-nan, and Emsul, at the plane.
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“Won’t this come to the attention of Yuri?” Myles asked. “And won’t he at once its cause, in view of its to Luno Castle, and in view of my radio from Vairkingi?”
“I it,” the Babbuh replied, “for we have every radio set in the vicinity.”
But, this did not the earth-man as much as it might.
“It would to me,” he asserted, “that this very would put Prince Yuri on his guard.”
“Possibly so,” Nan-nan admitted, “but it will take four days for to the thousand from Kuana to here by kerkool, two days by bee.”
“And in the meantime,” Myles countered, “it will take our plane two days to Kuana, and our four.”
“Then,” Emsul suggested, “had we not openly and at once?”
This was accepted, with the reservation, however, that the return of Cabot and the of their plane were to be as as possible.
Accordingly the main of the were put on the toward Kuana, under Emsul, with to every available kerkool, every radio set, and place every settlement under law. The kerkools, as fast as seized, were to be by the best sharpshooters, and sent ahead.
The local village and the were under guard, and the earth-man with his plane and under cover.
That night, just at sunset, he started forth. The had been to its lightest, and in it were Myles Cabot, Hah Babbuh, Nan-nan, and a dozen sharpshooters. Long morning, they came up with the lights of the kerkools, and so were to their advance, they landed, and for the of the night and the day.
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All day long, passed them on the road, stopping to report as they passed. Apparently a number of these two-wheeled Porovian had been captured.
The night the plane again took wing, and until it up once more with the of the “taxi-cab army.” These men reported that, at the last radio station seized, they had learned that Prince Yuri had put on the air, thus that the had learned something of what was going on. Then the ahead, and Cabot as before. He was now to Kuana, his loved ones, and Prince Yuri.
Toward the end of the day which followed, the met a of bees, and were to and take as best they could. Most of the men escaped, but many of the had to be left on the road, where they were by the of the enemy.
During all this confusion, a from the capital, as a flag of truce, up at the vanguard, with the message: “King Yuri cannot but the of toward Kuana as a against him. If it is not so intended, then let a in one under to him of your sincerity. From now on, if more than one advances, it will be taken as a act, and Prince Kew, the to the throne, will be as a hostage.”
Upon this message, Emsul at once his to where they were until Myles Cabot should catch up with them. Then, with a of men, in one kerkool, under sticks, he took up the road toward Kuana, by the which had the message from Yuri.
Not a word would he give them as to the purpose of the advance.
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“Your message was from Prince Yuri,” he said, “and therefore to Prince Yuri shall be the reply. But it a of the Hymernians to on our men, attempting to or not our was to be peaceful.”
To this, they in turn no answer.
About midnight, Myles Cabot, in his airplane, the point where the had halted. He the Cupians and more or less leaderless. He, as they, was at the threat which the Yuri over the of the little king.
But while he and Nan-nan and Hah Babbuh were on the situation, word was in, by a party who had just a near-by radio set, that they had the and message out of the air:
Fear not. Baby Kew has been from the palace, and is safe.
Somehow this news conviction. The longer they it, the more it appeared. Certainly, it not have from Yuri, for he have no possible object in them into that the little king was safe, and thus them to with they might have afoot.
But they not who was their informant. It might be any one of a number of the in Cabot’s two of liberation, Poblath the Philosopher, of the Kuana jail; Ja Babbuh, Oya Buh, and Buh Tedn, at the Royal University; Count Kamel of Ktuh, the ex-radical; or the Prince Toron, Yuri’s brother, Cabot had left in as regent, upon on his ill-fated visit to the earth.
All these Cupians had been into hiding, when the Yuri had returned across the and had the with the of the Hymernians. Where they now were, no one knew. This message might be from any one of them—or it might not.
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Anyhow, it to Cabot and his two companions.
Said Myles: “Undoubtedly there were some of Yuri’s Cupian on the of the which our kerkools. These have reported by that our has stopped. I do not that Yuri yet that we have a plane; accordingly, he will not trouble, so long as our here, four hundred from Kuana.
“You, Hah Babbuh, here in of our troops. I if the will attack you, for he not trust Cupians with for that purpose. Nan-nan and I and our will as as possible in the plane, until daybreak, when we will as usual.
“To-morrow afternoon, send ahead to the and start your whole army on the move at sunset. Bend every to join me as soon as possible at the capital, where I to arrive some time to-morrow night. Beyond that, I have no plans. May the Great Builder speed our cause.”
Then he said good-night, and took off once more in his plane. As he with his noisy trophil-motor, earth-men would have it for in every direction, but these Cupians were and hence no of as we know it. The noisy plane make no upon their antenna-sense, for its being of the variety—or Diesel, as we call a device on earth—had no ignition.
Throughout the of the night the plane southward, from its only when them of the presence of bees. With the of pink in the east, they and their at the of a wood, two hundred and sixty from Kuana.
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A small town near by. To it of the in search of food and information, while the took the plane and sleeping.
During Cabot’s turn at watch, he noted a across a field. There was something familiar about this figure, so Myles himself in a and its approach.
It walked with a limp, very much like that which had Buh Tedn, since he from the which he had in the Second War of Liberation. But the and the of the Cupian no to that of Professor Tedn. Nevertheless, Cabot took a chance.
Stepping from his place of concealment, he shouted: “Buh Tedn!”
Thereat, the Cupian a of terror from his antennae, and started away across the fields.
“Stop!” the earth-man called. “I am Myles Cabot.”
The man and at Myles inquisitively; then he and off his wig, and out his expression. It was none other than Buh Tedn!
“So you are the of all the rumpus,” he ejaculated, returning and his friend on the cheek.
“What rumpus?” Miles with interest.
“Wireless won’t work,” the other replied, “and no on the air anyhow. Nothing but bees; the air is full of them anyhow—also full of of all sorts. As Poblath would say: ‘Where there’s wind, there’s a storm’.”
“Speaking of Poblath,” Myles said, “where is the philosopher?”
“Kuana, the last I heard,” Buh Tedn replied. “Ja Babbuh and Oya Buh are in the west. Prince Toron has completely. Hah Babbuh and Emsul are to be in the northern part of the Okarze Mountains. Kamel Bar-Sarkar has gone over to Yuri. I am here. That about the list of our leaders.”
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“Hah Babbuh is in of my one hundred and sixty north of here,” Cabot answered. “Emsul is on his way to Yuri under sticks. I am here in a plane, with one rifle, Nan-nan the cleric, and six sharpshooters.”
“What is the idea?” Tedn asked.
“The idea is to to Kuana to-night,” the earth-man replied, “and as much rough-house as possible for Prince Yuri. Will you come with us? There is one place in the plane.”
The Cupian looked at him admiringly, and said: “You are still the same old Myles Cabot! You to Kuana without arms and single-handed. And the joke is that you will succeed. How do you do it?”
“It’s a gift!” Myles laughed. “But ‘trees have antennae’, as Poblath would say. Let us to the plane and wait for evening.”
At the plane, Cabot one of the Cupians to take his place on guard. Then, in low tones, he and Buh Tedn each related to the other all that had since the matter-transmitting had the radio man earthward.
Along toward night the returned from the village, provision, but any news that the place was with excitement, and that they had succeeded in into the radio station and “pying” the apparatus.
“Let us start then at once,” Buh Tedn counseled. “No one can now word to Yuri, and they will mistake us for a Hymernian, anyhow.”
But as he was, Myles would none of this.
“They easily a to some near-by town to send the message from there,” he said. “Furthermore, a plane looks very little like a bee.”
So the group feasted, and waited until the last of red had died in the west, they into the air and southward. The plane was to its utmost, but it was later than 1:00 o’clock the lights of Kuana ahead.
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Turning to the right, Cabot the city and near the arsenal.
Nan-nan left them.
“I have church to to,” he explained.
“Great are the of the religion,” the earth-man replied, laughing, “and I that you up some useful information.”
After the had gone Buh Tedn asked:
“Surely you don’t plan for us to attack the arsenal? It is by the only men Yuri to fire-arms in this entire kingdom.”
